Choral Symphony Concert
In Search of Peace: A Concert of Remembrance and Hope for the 10th Anniversary of 9/11
Sunday, September 11, 2011, 4 p.m.
National Presbyterian Church
4101 Nebraska Avenue, NW
Washington, DC
Music by Gary Davison to a text by Margaret B. Ingraham performed by Choralischoralis.org

“If paper, ink and words can be jewel-like, this small book is a jewel. . .One might conclude that a stringent form would constrain the psalmist or, in this case, the poet. But here practically every movement of the human heart is represented. Contrition and complaint, praise and perplexity, laud and lament, terror and trust, faith and fear—all find expression in Ingraham’s poems. . .her use of rhythm and rhyme enhances the work’s prayerfulness and gives many of her poems a musical quality.”

—Bonnie Bowman Thurston, The Anglican Theological Review, Fall 2010

“This book, while light enough to slip in your pocket, covers a great swathe of spiritual territory. With erudite prefaces from Jewish and Christian scholars, one enters another world where truth meets beauty as Psalm 119 is explored in fresh language which remains faithful to the original text. The graphics display the Hebrew alphabet engagingly, with a hint even, of whimsy. The reader is invited to marvel at an ancient Judaic vision where a sacred sound or letter could call matter into being. The translations themselves are many faceted jewels, inviting the reader to return to them again and again. The book can be read for pleasure, for study or for meditation. Here is poet who understands the tradition of canticle and psalm, as she writes in her introduction: ‘Hallelujah.’ Hallelujah indeed.”

—Dana Littlepage Smith, author of Women Clothed with the Sun

“How soul-satisfying it was to ingest this wonderfully crafted reshaping of this Psalm of meditation. Reading This Holy Alphabet with the Psalm open alongside made the artistry and poetry the more powerful. Succinct yet accurate rephrasing evokes a clearer sense of the Psalmist’s emotion. For ‘May Your unfailing love be my comfort’ we read, ‘Let mercy, Lord, console me’. ‘In the night I remember your name, O Lord, and I will keep your Law’ becomes ‘Recalling Your holy name, O Lord, as the evening comes/ has drawn me with comfort into your keep.’ Ingraham’s understanding of the Hebrew language of poetry has throughout her offering allowed us to be transported into what seems the depths of the Psalmist as he originally penned his lyric poem. Only a student of both Judaic text and the God of His Word could fashion such beauty: ‘Pull from your pouch of justice/ the lot of grace for me’! Indeed. I highly recommend this memorable and edifying work.”

—Donal Broesamle, Church Relations Director, Mount Hermon, CA

“Margaret Ingraham’s reading of her new book, The Holy Alphabet, was one of the best programs we’ve ever had at our library. It was a pleasure to hear Ms. Ingraham’s beautiful and moving poetry. Her discussion of Psalm 119 and the Hebrew alphabet intrigued many in the audience. I hope Peggy will return for a visit whenever she’s in the Atlanta area.”

“In her introduction to This Holy Alphabet, Ms. Ingraham argues that what Hebrew poetry shares with English, ‘and indeed poetry in every tongue, is rich imagery and allusion.’ Having come to this collection as a reader and writer of poetry, but with no prior understanding of Psalm 119 or the Hebrew alphabet, I was delighted and amazed to discover for myself just how right she is. These adaptations speak with such an astonishing directness and ease that I often wondered by poem’s end how such simplicity and restraint can carry such power. Ingraham has forged an illuminating, enlightening and uplifting collection that is both profoundly spiritual and eminently readable. This book of lyric poems is a treasure.”